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ILEP President Jan van Berkel says "This World Leprosy Day, Sunday 27 January, provides an important opportunity to draw attention to the often-neglected aspects of leprosy – the negative social implications many persons affected by the disease experience on a daily basis."

Born in 1982, Mohan was afflicted with lameness from polio at the age of 2. After his diagnosis of leprosy, however, what slowed him down were not his physical difficulties, but the discrimination he faced from family, relatives, friends, and society.

Maksuda first met Lepra staff when she was diagnosed with leprosy and received treatment at a local clinic at Sirajganj, Bangladesh. At the time of her diagnosis, she was married; however, she returned to her father’s home with her daughter upon her divorce with her husband.

Neru was only eight when she discovered she had leprosy. Her mother had noticed patches on Neru’s body and Neru also complained of numbness in her right hand and right leg. As time went on this numbness worsened and her hand began to stiffen and she could no longer open or close her hand, or hold things easily.

ILEP is shining a spotlight on the invisible scars of stigma ahead of this year’s World Leprosy Day–themed around ending the stigma and discrimination associated with leprosy–with the publication of a new interactive report.

Ahead of World Leprosy Day 2019, we meet inspiring people fighting against the stigma and discrimination associated with leprosy. From Brazil, this is Valdenora's remarkable story of survival, recovery and advocacy.

"The use of ‘leprosy’ as a negative metaphor has consequences far beyond the political realm, because it perpetuates old and outdated stereotypes and reinforces stigma and discrimination against us, people affected by leprosy."

Dr. Sushil Koirala ’The Rose Doctor’ has been a human rights and peace activist for over 15 years, and is the founder of the Rose Movement, a campaign to help bring peace and joy to others. We reached out to him to hear how his movement has become revolutionary in the fight against stigma as well.